Improvement in packings for railroad journal-boxes



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRIETT B. DEVLAN, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY.

IMPROVEMENT IN PACKINGS FOR RAILROAD JOURNAL-BOXES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 146,883, dated January 27, 1874; application filed July 20, 1872.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HARRIETT B. DEVLAN, of Jersey city, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented a, certain new and useful Improvement in Packing for Journal-Boxes; and I do hereby declare that the following is afull, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable those skilled in the art to make and use the same.

This invention consists in a compound of sponge with a mineral substance, such as asbestus, steatite, or graphite, for the purpose of producing a packing for jOurnaLbOXes, which is capable of absorbing the lubricating material and transferring it to the journal, and which prevents the journal from heating. With the sponge and mineral substance, such as above described, I also mix hair, or other fibrous material, and the sponge is saturated with a thin solution of caoutchouc, whereby the effect of my compound is still further improved.

In preparing my compound, I take one pound of purified sponge cut into small pieces, and mix therewith one and a half pound of asbestus, steatite, 0r graphite, and, after these ingredients have been thoroughly mixed, I introduce the same into the journal-boxes of railroad-caraxles, or into other journal-boxes of a similar construction.

\Vit-h the compound as above stated may also be mixed hair, in about the following proportions: Sponge, one pound; asbestus, or other mineral substance, one and one-half pound; hair, one and one-half pound.

Furthermore, the sponge which I use may be saturated with a thin solution of caoutchouc or other gum of a similar nature, whereby the durability of the same is increased, and a certain lubricating quality is imparted to it.

When my packing is introduced into a journal-box, the sponge takes up the lubricating material, and transmits it to the journal, while the mineral substance mixed with the sponge prevents the journal from heating. The hair assists in transmitting the lubricating material to the journal, and the solution of caoutchouc or other similar gum imparts to the sponge a certain lubricating quality, and, furthermore, it increases the durability of said sponge.

\Vhat I claim is 1. A packing for journal-boxes composed of sponge and a mineral substance, such as asbestus, steatite, or graphite, mixed together about in the proportion, and substantially in the manner set forth.

2. A packing for journal-boxes composed of sponge, hair, or other fibrous material, and a mineral substance, such as asbestus, steatite, or graphite, mixed together about in the pro portion and substantially in the manner de scribed.

3. A packing for journal-boxes composed of I 

